Announcement

Biometric Registration of Bank Customers Commences April 01, 2014. Ensure you are verified and registered

The Central Bank of Nigeria has inaugurated Bank Verification Number to revolutionise banking and payment systems in the country.

The BVN is a biometric authentication of bank customers using Point of Sale and Automated Teller Machines.

The biometric authentication is meant to address the safety of customers’ funds and avoid losses through compromise of Personal Identification Numbers.

The CBN, at the launch in Lagos, said that banks would have captured biometric details of all customers nationwide within the next 18 months.

The platform already rolled out nationwide attracts no charges and it would allow banks to enroll and verify the identity of each customer from any point of transaction device.

All account holders with Banks in Nigeria are advised to ensure they are verified and biometrically registered as they may not be able to carry out transactions after the 18 months registration period.

Yaw Live on Stage with Julius Agwu, et all on Sunday March 30, 2014 at the Eko Hotel and Suites, V/I, Lagos.

Places

Nekede Zoo, Owerri, Imo State

You can make a visit to the Nekede Zoo. This is located at the old Nekede in Owerri and is a complex, fully-equipped garden. Visitors can admire here different types of animals, from Ostrich, Lions and Monkeys to Pythons, Guerrillas and Crocodiles.

Owerri people are friendly, hospitable and always out to help visitors to the city and the natural beauty with mangrove trees, rainforests and scenic locations .

All hotels in the Owerri require visitors to pay on arrival before going to their room. However, it is advisable to pay in cash and avoid credit card usage as credit cards are not widely accepted. Owerri metropolis and the new business district of the city are among the best places to find an accommodation in the city.

Gashaka-Gumti National Park, Taraba/Adamawa States

Gashaka-Gumti National Park is located in the mountainous region of north-eastern Nigeria adjacent to the international border with Cameroon, and immediately to the north of Mambilla Plateau.

The Park experiences varying pleasant weather conditions, depending on one’s location within the Park. These range from tropical dry humid, tropical moist humid in the lowlands to sub tropical highland weather on the high plateau around Chappal waddi, Sabere and Fillinga. Infact , the hidden corner of West Africa ,that is Gashaka-Gumti National Park, is surely one of Africa’s best kept secret.

ANTROPOGENIC FEATURES: The Park also contains some historic sites one of which is the pre 1918 German fort and garrison top of Gashaka Hill once used as a “ watch tower ” by the German military expedition to that area. Graves of some fallen German soldiers could still be seen dotted around the Fort.

VEGETATION/ FAUNA SPECIES: The Park has five distinct ecological zones ranging from Scrub and Guinea Savanna to fringing lowland rainforest, montane forest . The graduation of these ecosystems are based on both the latitudinal and altitudinal gradients of the biogeography of the Park.

The fauna species inventory of this Park includes giant forest hog, leopard, yellow-backed duiker, golden cat , and eight of Nigeria’s known 23 Primates including chimpanzees in the forest ecotone .The savannas are home to buffalo, lion, elephant and wild dog , water-buck, roan-antelope, giant-eland, kob and Hartesbeest. Up in the mountains one can encounter the mountain reedbuck, black and white colobus monkey, baboon, warthog, oribi and klipspringer.

SPORT FISHING: Gashaka-Gumti has ideal spots for sport-fishing, one of which is at Mayo Kam near the Hippo-pool. In the dry season the water is crystal clear and one can easily see different varieties ranging from Tiger, Cat fish, Nile perch, Tilapia fish gliding in the water.

MOUNTAINEERING: Gashaka Sector of the Park has rugged undulating mountain terrains, excellent for mountaineering and cave exploration. It contains the highest mountain summit in Nigeria the “Chappal Waddi”, which literally means “ the mountain of death” standing at an altitude of 2,400 meters’ above sea level.

PRIMATE WATCHING Forests in Chappal Waddi, Chappal Hendu, Chappal Yumti, Chappal sirgu and Kwano forest are good primate strongholds. One is sure to sight chimpanzees here or at least hear their calls or see their nests.

WILDERNESS TREKKING: Gashaka-Gumti National Park , wild and scenic areas are accessible only by footpath and only by trekking can one savor the tranquility through the forest canopy ,rare fauna, crystal clear forest streams, waterfalls and picturesque mountain views.

ACCESS TO THE PARK: Gashaka sector of the park can be accessed through Katsina Ala-Takum-Bali-Serti –Bodel Gate and the other from Jalingo- Mutum Biyu-Bali-Serti-Bodel Gate, while the main access to Gumti sector is from Yola-Mayo Belwa-Ganye-Sugu-Toungo. The closest airport is at Yola. However, there is an airstrip for light aircraft in Serti, which could be used by visitors.

ACCOMMODATION: At present the Park has limited furnished accommodation facilities in Serti town, Gashaka Base Camp and Toungo. Good Camping sites also exit within and around the park; Mayo-kam, Mayo-gashaka, Mayo-gamgam and Yakuba for outdoors camping.

Freedom Park, Lagos Island, Lagos

The new Freedom Park is located on the site of the colonial prison where prominent Nigerians had their jail terms during the colonial era. The park, which is now a peaceful place for individual and collective contemplation and interaction is open to public daily.

Located in Lagos Island, Lagos, the park is a brainchild of a Lagos-born architect and visionary, Theo Lawson, who had a vision to transform the colonial prison to a symbol of freedom.

This prison was used by the British colonial masters to torture, imprison and hang in the gallows those that opposed colonial rule of Nigeria including Herbert Macaulay, Chief Cbafemi Awolowo, Chief Michael Imodu, Sir Adeyemo Alakija and others.

Freedom Park is a memorial leisure park dedicated to the preserving the Lagos colonial heritage and history of the Old Board Street prison. Today, freedom park provides venues for events and recreational entertainment.